1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to appliances, and, more particularly, to connecting features of an appliance and an appliance member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Appliances, such as a clothes dryer, which have a heater can have a temperature sensing device, such as a thermostat. A thermostat mounting arrangement can include such a thermostat mounted to a surface supporting portion of the clothes dryer to sense temperature conditions in the dryer. This mounting arrangement has an aperture passing through the surface support portion, the aperture having an enlarged central opening with four projection tab members extending into the central opening and two diametrically opposed slots extending radially outward from the central opening. The thermostat can have two resilient wings each having an arm extending generally toward and through a corresponding slot of the aperture. Each arm terminates in a bent end member adapted to engage the inner side of the surface portion adjacent the slot of the aperture. The thermostat can have a depressed shoulder surrounding the temperature sensitive flat surface which engages the outer side of the projection tab members extending into the central opening of the aperture. Difficulty, however, can be encountered when trying to mount the thermostat to the surface supporting portion of the dryer, particularly considering the bending or squeezing of one of the wing members, the pivoting of the thermostat into the central opening, and the pushing of a flat instrument such as a screwdriver downwardly between the squeezed wing and a bulb portion of the thermostat to force the arm of the squeezed wing to take on its final position.
What is needed in the art is a simple, easy-to-use, tool-less snap-fit arrangement for connecting an appliance member to an appliance.